Unprecedented ‘Meta’ Domain Name Registrations
Client Alert | 1 min read | 11.02.21
Thursday’s announcement that Facebook is rebranding itself as ‘Meta’ resulted in an unprecedented number of new domain name registrations. Since Friday, we have identified over 48,000 new ‘meta’ domain names by way of the award-winning and bespoke brand protection and cybersecurity platform designed and engineered by Crowell & Moring senior counsel Alexander Urbelis.
Critically, a significant number of these newly-registered domains incorporate the names of companies and organizations, or well-known trademarks, e.g., meta-[company name].com or meta[trademark].com. Potentially used for phishing or misinformation, these domains may present cybersecurity issues, and may also constitute threats to brand strength. As a result, we recommend that companies preemptively register domains with the above syntax to prevent them from falling into the hands of cybersquatters or threat actors.
This unprecedented onslaught of domain name registrations also highlights the crossover and complementary nature of brand protection and cybersecurity efforts, giving companies the opportunity to strengthen their cybersecurity posture by protecting valuable trademark rights and prioritizing unauthorized domain registrations en masse.
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Client Alert | 3 min read | 07.21.25
Bypass Applications in U.S. Patent Practice: A Strategic Alternative to National Stage Entry
Applicants entering the U.S. national phase of an international (PCT) application have two options: enter the national stage under 35 U.S.C. §371 or file a “bypass” national application under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a). A bypass application allows applicants to file a new U.S. application that claims priority to the PCT application, treating the PCT application as a U.S. parent and bypassing the traditional national phase entry. Depending on the applicant’s goals and strategy, bypass applications can be filed as a continuation, divisional, or continuation-in-part (CIP).
Client Alert | 1 min read | 07.21.25
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Not So Surprising: The Fifth Circuit Finds No Private Right of Action in the No Surprises Act
Client Alert | 3 min read | 07.18.25
